The Advantages of Using Cloud Backup for SMBs

Huge computers and floppy disks have gone the way of the dinosaur. Even flash drives are slowly going out of style. Today, data in all its forms can be stored and accessed in the cloud.

Cloud Backup and Why Small Businesses Need It

Cloud computing is a technological development that’s even more important for businesses whose lifeblood is data. These are financial records, customer information, operation files, employee records, and other miscellaneous information that are vital for a business to function and thrive.

The Loss of Data and Its Effect on Business

The management of data is one of the main reasons businesses hire managed IT services in Kansas City. When data is compromised, business processes grind to a halt. Some of the most common causes of data loss are:

Major disasters – Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters can destroy hardware and the valuable company data stored in them. This can be even more disastrous if the backup data is also stored on the affected premises.

Human error – The adage about how we’re only human, so we make mistakes is very evident when employees unintentionally delete or misplace important company files. A 2007 report from PC World revealed that human error accounts for 75 percent of data loss incidents.

Malware – When office computers or a corporate network gets infected by a virus, one of the top risks is data loss. Viruses may delete data in parts or in full. Another way computer viruses cause data loss is by turning files into unrecognizable formats.

The loss of important files is not only a massive inconvenience, but it’s also a huge drain of resources. According to a 2014 study entitled The State of Global Disaster Recovery Preparedness, 20 percent of companies who have experienced data loss incur costs between $50,000 and $5 million. Various studies also show that a majority of businesses who experience massive data loss fail to recover.

The disastrous impact of data loss on businesses shows how important data backup is. Yet data backup is rarely discussed, and some even consider it the least important aspect of IT. It’s understandable why some would think of data backup this way—you’re literally copying data stored in one platform to another. Not many seem to care about it until disaster strikes, and all their records are lost.

Because damage to hardware can be one of the reasons for data loss, storing backup files on-site can cause even greater losses.

Expansive and Efficient

Cloud technology, like its skybound namesake, is everywhere nowadays. In the late 1960s, Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider created what is believed to be the first cloud computing network, ARPANET. Its purpose was similar to how the cloud is used today—to connect people and data at any time and from anywhere.

In 1983, cloud technology became a means for data storage, but it wasn’t until recently when more cloud storage options became more readily available, that people stopped relying solely on onsite backup storage. Cloud storage and backup solutions provide you with secure methods to recover or restore data that may have been lost on another platform.

Startups and other SMBs tend to focus on cost-saving, efficiency, and improved data utilization, because of this opthetion of cloud backup is one that presents the most benefit for them.

A Cost Effective Solution

Small businesses do not usually have a big budget to allocate to their IT departments, so a backup storage solution with flexible pricing is ideal. Cloud storage is based on monthly subscription fees. So, if you consider the costs to acquire and maintain hardware, storage, and qualified people to manage them, the cloud is the more cost-effective choice.

Cloud Backup Is Flexible and Scalable

Because cloud storage isn’t physical, it’s easy to make changes and adjustment to the system without the need for major re-architecture. This characteristic is especially useful for when your company moves to a new space or opens a new location. You don’t need to spend money and effort on your infrastructure just to back data up. What’s more, cloud storage’s subscription-based feature lets you scale the storage that you’re paying for, depending on your new requirements.

Cloud Backup is More Comprehensive

Compared to its traditional counterpart, cloud-based storage solutions are more convenient and comprehensive. Cloud solutions include Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS), which is a specialized service for accessing lost data after a disaster. What’s more, you can back up not just files, but also entire systems and databases, all of which can be stored in a central process in the cloud.

Easily Accessible

Data in the cloud gives access anytime and anywhere. As long as a user is connected to the internet, the files are readily available. You don’t need to lug around bulky laptops or storage like flash drives, or have to go back to the office to access important files.

Data Backup Requires Little to No Maintenance

Traditional backup storage solutions require maintenance and setup to operate on a daily basis. Cloud-based storage, on the other hand, doesn’t require extensive IT resources to maintain after its initial setup. Even at times when the cloud needs to be managed, your service provider can provide you with specialists who will monitor and maintain your system.

Backup is Automatic

Companies often fail to back their data up because they simply don’t have enough time to do so, or they don’t have enough IT manpower to do it for them. Cloud backup solutions do not present this problem. Your files are automatically and continuously backed up in the cloud whenever you’re connected to the internet, or at set intervals to optimize your connection, so this option doesn’t require additional time and commitment from you.

Back Up Your Data More Efficiently with the Help of Cloud Experts

With the knowledge about everything cloud storage and backup, you may now be thinking about ways to implement these technologies for your own business. For cloud backup and other IT solutions, look no further than NetStandard, Inc. We are an award-winning IT consulting and managed technology company from Kansas City. For years, we’ve helped small businesses grow by providing outstanding IT support and infrastructure.